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\V()RCl-STi:k, MASS. 



1839-1843. 



Ifeing rcmarLs mailc at a meeting of The Worcester Society of Antiquity 
held June ^r''. 1S84. 



Bv NATHANIKI. I'AIM 



JJIorcr'itrr 



1 !%► Ml M.K> Jl I 1 ll'lf^ l-HIN I I |1 I 1 IK IkU M K nl'NTKIUf'IlOV. 



188s. 



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transfer 




'il25>fl(,7 



^m„r. Ant. SOO. 
26 I1 1907 



The "Recollections" contained in the following pages are the 
sul>stance of remarks made before The Worcester Society of An- 
ti(|iiity, a few copies being printed in this form for the convenience 
of those who may be interested in the subject, and who may not 
have access to the publications of the Society. 

In j)reparing these remarks, the newspajiers of the period were 
consulted to confirm the recollection of the writer in regard to the 
location of many of the business men mentioned ; and he has also 
received valuable assistance from gentlemen familiar wiih the lo- 
calities spoken of. 

'I'he rough diagrams of the Common and streets in the vicinity 
are, nt)t drawn to a scale, nor are the locations of the buildings 
represented claimed to be precise ; all that was intended was to 
give a general iflea of the streets and buildings and (heir occupants 
about the years i8_^9-43. .\ few other illustrations have been 
added to this edition whi<h it is hoped mav increase its interest 
and value. 

The thanks of the writer are due to .Mr. I'. I'. Rue fur the 
iy|K>graphical appearance of the |>amphlet. which mav be deemed 
one of its c-hief merits. 



KAXDOM Kr.COl.l.HCTlOXS. 



When, several months ago, I promised the President of this 
Society that I woukl prepare a paper to jiresent at one of its meet- 
injjs, I did so with i)ut little idea of a subject, and with still less 
appreciation of the task 1 had undertaken. 

What I shall ask your attention to, this evening, can hardly be 
di(,'nified by the title of a paper ; it is rather a familiar talk, in which 
I shall endeavor to give some account of people and buildings in 
Worcester forty or more years ago, artd may, for want of a better 
title, be called Raiuiom Recollections of Worcester, /8J9-184J. 

By the United States Census of 1840, it appears that Worcester 
was then a town with a population of only 7497, while the Census 
of 1880 gives us 58,295 ; and it is now estimated at about 70,000. 
Financially, the condition of our city to-day, is less gratifying to 
tax i>ayer> than the increase in pojjulation, as in 1840, I find the 
Selectmen report "a larger amount of money paid into the Treasury 
than would soon be wanted for the uses of the Town," and that 
they had therefore made a loan of §2,500 to the Massachusetts 
Mutual Fire Insurance Company ; while to-day, the city is bur- 
ilened with a debt of $2,400,000. • 

• Ihe f<>lli)win(; extracts from llic report of Col. John \V. Lincoln, Ch.iir- 
nun of the "("oniniillcc on kua<l»," which was pruscnlcd ahoiil the ^anlc 
time .IN 1h.1l of the Scleclmcn, woulil seem to indicate that sonic of the sur- 
y\\\^ ftiM'U wotiM vion he needed f^r exlra<jrdinnry expensci. The report 
:iIIimIi-. 1.1 the very unfortunate weather of the past winter, which occasioned 
"in i»|M-ii.c in nininlainini; a winter road unprcccdentcil in the history of 
the town"; there had liccn "alreaily paiil for a snow path over 5900, and 
when all the liilN were in. it would not fall short of jiooo. Kesides this un- 
usual expenditure on account of snows and winiU. the towiv have to lament 



Most of my hearers will undoubtedly recall 1840 as a year of 
great political excitement, occasioned by the presidential campaign 
of Harrison and Tyler, or, as it was called, "Tippecanoe and Tyler 
too," — the days of log cabins and hard cider. 

The excitement at Worcester, between the two political parties, 
was intense ; and on the i 7th of June, the anniversary of the Bat- 
tle of Bunker's Hill, one of the largest and most exciting [jolitical 
conventions ever held in the state took place here. It was called 
by the Whigs for the purpose of nominating a candidate for gov- 
ernor, and the choice of presidential electors, "Honest John Davis" 
of Worcester being nominated by acclamation as the candidate for 
governor. 

A log cabin, one hundred feet long. fift\' feet wide, and a flag 
staff, the top of which was about 100 feet from the ground, were 
erected on Grove street, near the wire works, about the present 
location of the Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company's of- 
fices, perhaps a little farther south. 

Cannon were fired and bells of the churches rung in the morn- 
ing before the opening of the convention. A procession was formed 
on the Common and streets in the vicinity, and marching under a 
handsome arch erected by the Whigs of the town, passed down 
Main street to the log cabin, the buildings along the line of march 
being decorated with flags and bunting, and the windows crowded 
with spectators. Col. John W. Lincoln was the chief marshal, and 
headed the procession, which is said to have been over a mile 
in length, and included delegations from all parts of the state. 
Log cabins drawn by horses, and barrels of cider, were prominent 
in the procession ; and there were five barouches, each drawn by 
four horses, for the soldiers 0/ the Revolution. Many of the de- 
vices on the banners carried by the various delegations would, 
perhaps, be of interest to you, but I will mention only a few. 

The Worcester County banner had as a device the arms of the 
County in 1731 : a deer, with the motto "Not Slow." Part of the 

the loss sustained Ijy the death of an ox, which has rendered the e.\hiliit <.f 
the financial concerns in relation to roads more iinfavor.ilile than it would 
have heen but for this misfortune." 



Rirre delegation were on horstbatk, and were dressed in blark 
coats and white pants, with a log cabin button on their hats as a 
cockade. Their banil was in a stage-coach, with a barrel of hard 
cider on the rack behind, marked "Oil Korrect." The Sterling 
and Southbridge delegations had three log cabins, each drawn by 
six or eight horses. 

The Siitton ilelegation had a banner with the inscrijition : "Its 
all over. There comes old Sutton as long as liternity I " and 
over it was painted a long team of oxen ploughing. The origin of 
this motto it is said, was, that when the Sutton Whigs marched 
to Worcester in the time of the Revolution, Judge Chandler, who 
wxs a Tor)', saw them approaching, anil made use of the expres- 
sion given on the banner : "It is of no use. Its all over. There 
comes old Sutton as long as Kternity I " 

Southliorough had in the line a log cabin 42 feet long and 10 
wide, full of delegates and drawn by 1 6 horses, which must have 
made a very vivid impression on my youthful mind, for I well re- 
member it. The Boylston delegation had on their banner the 
motto : "Van 'I'ip'd out and Tip Tip'd in." The Hopkinton del- 
egation in white frocks trimmed with red, and carrying shovels, 
axes and brooms, with a log cabin on wheels drawn by ten horses, 
had marched from that town to Worcester after seven o'clock in 
the morning, indicating a degree of political enthusiasm not often 
seen in these days. Spirited adilresses were made at the log cabin, 
an<l in the afternoon in front of the Won ester House, by distin- 
guished (Kiliticians. 

One other circumstance of some historical interest, was brought 
al>out by the political excitement of the year, that of the formation 
of the "Worcester (luards." The imme<liate cause of the starting 
of this company is stated substantially as follows, in a paper read 
before the Worcester Kire Society in 1S77, by the late Daniel 
Waldo Lincoln. 

Each of the political parties (the Whigs and the I.ocofocos) 
were desirous of having a grand demonstration in Worcester on 
the 4th of July, and each was anxious to secure the services of the 
Light Infantry, (then the only military company in town) to act 



8 

as escort for their proc:ession. Some of the most active among the 
Whigs authorized Col. John W. Lincoln to extend an invitation to 
the Infantry to act as their escort, in anticipation of more formal 
action to be taken by the committee of arrangements. Their op- 
ponents, however, held a meeting, appointed a committee, and 
sent a formal written invitation, which was received by the com- 
pany soon after the verbal one of the Whigs. 

The members of the Infantry being nearly equally divided be- 
tween the two political parties, a very excited and animated dis- 
cussion took place as to which invitation should be' accepted. -The 
Democrats having a slight majority, it was voteii to accept the in- 
vitation of that party, on the ground that although the invitation 
of the Whigs was the first received, the other was more formal and 
was sanctioned by pro|)crly authorized representatives of the party. 
The result w^as, that the Whigs in the company were so incensed 
that they said they would not parade either on the 4th of July or 
thereafter, but would get discharged as soon as they could. Mr. 
Lincoln, who was the captain of the Light Infantry at that time, 
says he decided it was for the best interest of the command, and 
likely to prevent its total disbandonment, if the dissatisfied mem- 
l)ers were allowed to withdraw. Through his inlluence, the W'hig 
members, (all save Capt. Lincoln himself,) received a discharge 
through the authorized military officials. The Democrats at once 
took an active interest in the company, urged the prompt filling 
up of the depleted ranks, ant! with such success that in a week's 
time the quota was full, all good Jackson Democrats save the 
captain. 

This action of the Democrats naturally stirred uji the Whigs, 
and they determined that a military company, composed of mem- 
bers of their party, should at once be organized ; and such was the 
enthusiasm with which they entered into it, that August 6th, 1840, 
the organization of the Worcester (luards was completed by the 
election of George Bowen as captain, and (ieorge Hobbs, Leonard 
Poole and George W. Richardson as lieutenants. Hiram (iould, 
proprietor of the Worcester House, was orderly sergeant, and pro- 
mulgated the order for the first parade. This took place Sept. 19, 
and in the evening a supper was served at the Worcester House 



to the new company, upon invitation of prominent Whig citizens. 
A singular fact in regard to the first appearance in public of the 
(iuards is, that although the Massachiisells Sfiy was the organ of 
the \Vhigs, no mention whatever, that I have been able to find, 
was made in its columns of this parade. The Pallaiiiiim, then the 
I )enn)(ratic paper, calls attention tci it, and says : "The military 
l)earing of the company was creditable to both officers and men." 
.After all the excitement and talk about the celebrations for the 
4th of July, that of both parties was finally held in Barre instead 
of Worcester, the Whigs having as their orator Daniel Webster, 
with a Fitzwilliam company as escort ; and the Democrats having 
("ic'orge Ban<roft as orator, with the Light Infantry as escort. Capt. 
Lincoln said, that after attending to his military duties, he left his 
command at the Democratic meeting and went himself to that of 
the Whigs. 

In recalling the location of buildings and their occupants, while 
depending largely on my own recollection, I have been aided by 
hints and suggestions froni several of our older citizens, given in 
response to inquiries made of them. It is, perhajjs, proper to state, 
that in many cxses where I applied for information as to the loca- 
tion of prominent business concerns of forty or more years ago, to 
gentlemen engaged in trade here at that time, I have found a 
marked difference in their recollection of localities and of indi- 
viduals ; in these ca.ses the printed authority of the newspaper ad- 
vertisements has been accepted as the most reliable, The files of 
the Spy, from 1838 to 1843, have been consulted, and many sug- 
gestions and clues to the location of business men have been ob- 
tained therefrom, as also from the second Worcester Directory, 
published in 1843 by .A. W. Congdon of Boston. 

Not claiming absolute accuracy, and wishing to be corrected in 
any errors, I will consider, in the brief time allotted, some incidents 
of our local hi.story, and more especially the location of stores and 
dwelling houses, with the names of their occupants. It will be 
neccssiiry in these recollections, to confine myself to very restricted 
limits, and I shall therefore refer only to localities which in my 
younger ilays were most familiar to me. 



lO 

Forty-four years ago, there stood a few feet to the south of the 
building we are now in,* the first depot of the Boston & Worcester 
railroad. It was a long wooden building, very jjlain externally, 
and almost equally so in the interior, with an entrance for passen- 
gers at the west end, the trains leaving from the east end. My 
recollection is, that at first, there was no ticket office, but that the 
fare was collected on the train. As late, however, as 1839-40, a 
ticket office was probably established in the building. What we 
remember as the Foster street depot was completed in the spring 
of 1840, the old one being then removed to the south side of the 
new building, to be used by the Norwich and Worcester railroad. 

As giving statistical information in regard to Worcester which 
may be of some historical value, I have made extracts from a cir- 
cular issued in June, 1831, under the direction of a committee of 
subscribers to the stock of the Boston and Worcester Railroad, 
and also from a subscription paper, dated in July of the same year, 
showing the necessity for the road, and the probable value of the 
stock as an investment. t In the circular, an assessment of one dol- 
lar per share was announced as to be levied on the subscribers, the 
money to be used by the directors in making "estimates and get- 
ting surveys," and otherwise obtaining such information in regard to 
the construction and ])robable income of the road, as may be 
deemed necessary to enable the stockholders to decide on the ex- 
|)ediency of the undertaking. 

July 4, 1831, a committee of the s>ibscril)ers. of which Nathan 
Hale was chairman, issued a circular to show the advantages to be 
derived from l)uil(liiig the road, and the inducements to monied 
men to subscribe for the stock. They give estimates of the travel- 
ing by stage coaches between Boston and Worcester, and say : 
"The average amount of traveling in the stages now running be- 
tween Boston and Worcester, including those which jjass through 
Worcester to New York and Albany, is e(iual to 22,360 per annum, 
for whic:h the lowest rate of fare is two dollars." They estimate 

♦ Worcester Bank Block. Rooms of The Worcester Society of .\iitiquity. 
t Copies of the subscription paper and the circular ,ire in the lilirary of the 
American .\ntiquarian Society. 




WORCESTER BANK BLOCK, 

FO8TKII Strekt. 



BOOMS or Tilt WOHCUTin aOCIETT or ANTigUITY IN TIIIH BLOCK. 



J 



I I 



ihc travel by stages on other routes nut going through Worcester, 
l)iit which they think coiilil lie diverted to a railroad, as ei|ual to 
9,360. .\n estimate is also given of the transportation by wagon 
l>etwecn Boston and Worcester, which they say cannot be given 
with niiuh accuracy, but they believe "the amount of business that 
would l)c accommodated by the railroad would re(|uire an amount 
of transportation eipial at least to iS.ooo tons the whole distance 
per year, which at S3, per ton would produce §54,000." 

They then call attention to the business done on the Blackstone 
Canal, and say "the tolls for the last season amounted to Si 2,000," 
and that "it would probably be much larger the jjre.sent season" ; 
adding to this double the amount for transportation it would pro- 
duce §36,000 per year. .An estimate is also given of the annual 
expenses of the road, fountled partly on information obtaineil from 
Mr. Stej)henson. the engineer of the I.iverjjool and Manchester 
Road, of the annual expenses for repairs on that ro.id ; and they 
close by giving as an estimate of the net annual income of the 
proposed road the sum of $86,800. 

'I'he road was formally opened July 6, 1835, the first through 
train from Boston arriving in Worcester the morning of that day. 
The passengers, consisting of a large number of prominent citizens 
of Boston and vicinity, were received at the terminus by several 
hunilred of our own citizens, and under escort of the Worcester 
Flight Infantry, commanded by Capt. Charles H. (leer, made a 
march through some of the most important streets to the Town 
Hall, where a collation wa.s served. Speeches of congratulation 
upon the completion of the great enterprise were made by promi- 
nent gentlemen of Boston and Worcester, among whom was the 
Hon. Kdward Kverett. While the collation was in progress, the 
ladies of the town, to the number of about five hundred, were 
given a ride to Westborough and back in the new cars. 

The cars first used on the road were very different from the ele- 
gant structures now in use, being very much shorter, and having a 
general resemblance to the old stage coach, without the springs. 
'I'he advertisement of the company in the .S/>v of the day, with a 
cut of a train of cars, (a copy of which is here given) illustrates 
verv well their appearance. 



I 2 



Boston Sf Worcester RAIL ROAD. 

THE I'ARSENOKR OARS »t:irt t'roiii the n-v. ilppot. 
.Su«(/; On-t. Hi.Blon.at 7, A, M., and 3, I' »l., iin.l 
from ^VorccsUT iit the fiiinie htmrs. 

Piiceof'l'iekets tu Itoston, from Deeember 1st to April Isl, 
Two Dollirc, and »t the same mte forititeniiedULte |ilncfs 
All b(igi;(t^e tit tltr risk of the tiwtlrrs. 
Frbight forwarded on the following terms; 
Merchandize uener.ill.v up to >Vorr'r.S3 50 per'iOODMis , 

'* '• tiown troni " $^3. 

The Company will not be respcnisible for any nierehan- 
dizeorefiecrs, nnlesv the same he reci ipted fttr bv irsajie'its 
duly authorized, nor tor any loss or damage not oecasioned 
by their neglitreiice. 

Goods should l>e sent to the Master of Transportation, at 
the Depot with a bill of lading and receipt prepared, ready 
for si;inature. 

Nov, 23 [1837.] ff .1 F. CllUTlS. Snp-t 



The entrance to them was upon the side, and the seats, as I re- 
call them, were on each side, very much as at present. The con- 
ductor, in collecting the fares, had to walk along a narrow step or 
platform on the outside, holding on by an iron rod at the top of 
the car. 

By an advertisement in the Massachusetts Spy of June, 1838, it 
appears that trains left for Boston twice a day, (Sundays excepted, 
when there was but one train,) at 6 o'clock a. m., and four o'clock 
p. M. The fare to Boston was S2., "all baggage at the risk of the 
owner." It then cost $3.50 per 2000 pounds to bring merchandise 
from Boston to Worcester, and three dollars only to take it from 
Worcester down. In 1839 there were three trains each way daily, 
and the fare was reduced to Si. 50. 

The usual way for foot passengers to go to the depot from Miin 
street, was by a passage way between the building at tlie corner of 
Foster street and that occujjied by Levi C'lapp as a hat store, about 
where the cigar store of (). P. Shattiick now is. In the crotch of 
an elm tree, west of the depot and near the ('la|)p store, was sus- 
pended a bell, to be rung before the departure of trains. This 
practice of calling attention to the time trains were to start by ring- 
ing a bell was kej)! u|) for many years after the second depot was 
erected. 



* 



13 

In 1S37-S the name of J. F. Curtis a|)|)c.^l^ ,i> liie Miiierintendent, 
but in 1.S39 Nathan Hale, for many years president of the road, is 
signed to ailverlisements as superintendent pro tern. In 1840 
Wilham Parker became superintendent, and retained the office 
for several years. One of the first agents of the roatl at Worces- 
ter was Kdwin Moody ; he had charge here for many years, and is, 
undoubtedly, well remembered by most of those who hear me. 
.\mong the early conductors of the road were Caleb S. Fuller, 
Thomas Tucker, fleorge S. Howe ; and for a short time, Harnden, 
the founder of Harnden's F.\press. In 1837 R. W. Whiting adver- 
tises that he has made arrangements with the Boston and Worces- 
ter Railroad Company to o<c upy |)art of a car, to be run on pas- 
senger trains, and that he will take charge of all packages entrusted 
to his care, and deliver them the same day. This was probably 
the t'lrst regular express by rail between Worcester and Boston. 
Burke's New York and Boston Kxpress, started in 1840, (the own- 
ers being 1'. B. Burke and Alvin .\dams) was the beginning of the 
great .\dams Fxpre.ss Company, now having offices throughout the 
country. Their first office in Worcester was at J. B. Tyler & 
Co.'s hat store. 

Before the building we are in was erectefl, a small, one story 
wooden building stood on the spot, occupied at one time by Na- 
thaniel Tead as a hat store, and afterwards as a periodical office. 
The building had been moved from somewhere on .Main street, and 
is now in Bigelow court. Coming from the depot to Foster street, 
whit h had been opened about 1835-6 by Hon. .A. I). Foster, we 
should see the south side of the .American Temperance House, 
with its long portico extending the whole length of the building. 
The house was built originally by Mr. Foster as a residence, and 
(Mxupied by him before he built the present family mansion on 
Chestnut street. In the basement, with an entrance under the 
side portico, was the shop of John .\lorey, the coloretl barber, well 
known to residents of Worcester twenty-five or thirty years ago. 
.A Mr. Siratton also had a clock store in the basement, with an en- 
trance from Foster street. On the Main street front was a clouble 
portic-o, giving the house ipiite an imposing appearance. 



14 

The first landlord was Eleazer Porter, now living at a ripe old 
age in the town of Hadley, Mass., who some years before he opened 
the hotel had kept a store under the Town Hall, and after leaving 
the hotel was in partnership with George M. Rice.* At the time 
of which I am writing, R. W. Adams was the proprietor ; and if we 
called at the office we should be likely to find the genial clerk, Mr. 
Lyman Brooks, now so favorably known as the obliging superin- 
tendent of the Union DeiJOt in this city. This hotel, I believe, 
was always kept on temperance principles, and had a good repu- 
tation. Another landlord, whom you will well remember, was the 
late Thomas Tucker, for several years keeper of the tavern at West- 
borough, Mass. 




AMF.RICAN TF.MPF.RANCK HOU.SE. 



A list of the taverns in Worcester at about the period of which 
I am writing may be of interest, and I therefore give one copied 

*In 1835 ^I''- r'orter Ijought of Alfred I). Foster for $7-500, "one undi- 
vided moiety or half part of the estate lately occupied by him," described as 
"beginning at the center of the door yard post, corner of S. M. Burnside's 
land" and running south to land of Boston & Worcester R. R. Co., "before 
owned by Benj. Butman and John VV. Stiles." In December, 1835, *" agree- 



'5 

from the iiuiniist rl|it of William Lincoln, the historian of Worces- 
ter, the orijjinal of which is in the lihrarv of the American Anti- 
(|iiarian Society. This list, prepared in 1837, gives the names of 
the landlords, most of whom were in the same taverns in 1840. 

I.ISTOFTAVKRNS IN WDRCKSTKR IN 1837,* 

Wilh the naiiio of their l^aniliurds. 

Lincoln S«|iiare Hotel, J. Fessenden. 1839, Nath'l Stearns. 

Simimer Street House, Samuel Banister. 

Kxchange Coffee House, Samuel B. Thomas. 

F.agle Hotel, t David Bonney. 1840, Geo. Hobbs. 

Central Hotel, Zorrestcr Bonney. 

American Temperance House, Eleazer Porter. 1840, R.W.Adams. 

Worcester House, Lysander C. Clark. 1840, Henry (iould. 

United States Hotel, Wm. C. Clark. 

Washington S<]uare Hotel. Wm. R. Wesson. 

ment was made with the Hustiin iV Worcester R. K. t'o. to open Koster street, 
anil in the spring of 1836, the I'oster (livellin); house was converted into a 
hotel. .Mr. Porter advertises in the S/iy of June 29, 1836, that "the .Ameri- 
on Temperance House is now completed .... and opened for the recep- 
tiiin of company"; and speaks of himself as "former keeper of the Worcester 
Temperance House." This last named hotel was at the corner of Main and 
Thomas streets, and was afterwarils known as the Hagle Motel. Warner 
Hinds succeeded Mr. Porter there, and about 1840 George Hobbs was the 
Inndloril. In November, 1840, Mr. Porter deeded the .Vmerican Temperance 
Hoisc property back tti Mr. Foster, anil soon after retired from the hotel 
business. The estate, .is originally purchased by Mr. Porter, extended east 
nearly to the meadow, and the large stable connected with the hotel, stand- 
ing a short distance back uf it, was built by him. 

* In 1835 there appears lo have been a tavern called the Railroad Hotel, 
for I tind by an advertisement in the S/>y in ( )ctober of that year, that "Joice 
Heth, ifii years of age," Nurse of (Jen. Washington, was to be seen "at the 
Kailrnad Huusc for the small sum of 25 cents." The Railroad House was 
In the John W. Stiles building at the south corner of I'ostcr and Main streets. 
It had A hall up stairs in the rear, used for dances and exhibitions; and in 
1835 was kept by a Mr. Stiiwell. The hall was afterwards occupied by Jabc/ 
liigelow, wire worker. 

f This hotel »a« at one lime called the lllackstonc t'anal House. 



i6 

New Worcester, C. M. Deland. 
Jones's Tavern. (Leicester road.) 

Willard's Hotel, (Tatnuck.) Willard. 

Munroe's Tavern, (at Floating Bridge, Shrewsbury.) Munroe. 

Eaton Tavern,* (Front St.) .Aaron Howe. 1840. Mrs. J. Bradley. 

As we came from Foster street to Main street, we should see as 
now on our right, and nearly opposite the 'lemperance House, the 
block erected by Benjamin Butman, known as Brinley Block. In 
the third story was a hall to which the same name as tliat of the 
block was applied ; this for many years was the most desirable 
and popular place in town for lectures, concerts, exhibitions and 
dances.f 

Here were held the famous cattle show balls, for many years 
considered as an important auxiliary of the show, which were at- 
tended by the elite of the town and prominent visitors who came 
to take part in the agricultural exhibition of the day. 'l"he hall 
was to my mind much handsomer than it is at jjresent. Then the 
large wooden pillars on each side of the room gave it a very im- 
posing appearance ; the floor, too, was laid on springs, thus making 
it especially desirable for dancing. J 

In 1840 the S/y advertised as on exhibition at Brinley Hall, a 
grand moving diorama of "Washington crossing the Delaware"; 
"The Garden of Eden before the Fall, in which .Adam and Eve 
were discovered before the tree of knowledge," &c. "Fowls of the 
air, aquatic birds and beasts. ])assand repass, all giving life and help- 
ing to adorn this scene of domestic happiness." The "Battle of 
Bunker Hill and the burning of Charlestown" was also exhibited 
here with realistic effects. This, I remember, was highly appre- 
ciated by the more youthful members of the audience. It was, 
probably, this exhibition that Mr. John B. Ciough refers to in his 

*Once called the Eleptiant 'I'^ivern. from it- si^n with the figure of an 
elephant painted on it. 

tNow known as Grand .\rmy Hall. 

I Messrs. Smith and Weaver will be rememlieved by many of our citizens 
as the dancing masters of forty or fifty years ag(j who had classes in Krinley 
Hall. 



intcrcstinj; autol>iogrj|>hy. from \vhi< h it sccnis he was an impor- 
tant auxiliary in proiiiuing the tliDramic elTci.ts. He says : "one 
|>art of my business was to turn the crank in bringing on the troops 
in the Rmie of Hunker Fiill" ; another part "was to he on my back 
(luring the boml>aribnent of C'harlesiown, anil while one man worked 
the figures at the guns, I was, at a signal, to apply a match to some 
powder I held on a jiiece of tin, for the flash, when another man 
struck the big drum for the report ; often the re|)ort came before the 
flash, and sometimes no flash at all." 

Among the occupants of Brinley Row at this time, was Oeorge 
I.. Hrown, since famous as a landscape artist. He advertised to 
give lessens in pencil drawing, also to paint portraits and minia- 
tures. He painted a large picture on fifty s(|uare feet of canvas, 
representing the burning (jf the steamer Lexington, in Long Island 
Sjund, on the night of January 13, 1840. Over one hundred lives 
were lost by this disaster, and Worcester was much excited over 
the event. Mr. Hrown also made a drawing of the great fire in 
School street in .August, 1838, which was engraved for the certifi- 
cates of memlH.-rship of the Worcester Fire Department. When 
Mr. Brown left Worcester for the purpose of visiting Italy to study 
his profession, he had an auction sale of his paintings here, and 
several of his early works were purchased by, and still remain in 
the possession of citizens of Worcester. 

S. Reeves Inland also had rooms in the block, and oflerefl his 
services to citizens of Worcester as an instructor of music upon 
the organ and pianoforte ; and in 1843 he advertises as wholesale 
and retail dealer in musical instruinents of all kinds, also a "first 
rate assortment of umbrellas and parasols of his own manufacture." 

By the Directory of 1843 I find that our late esteemed fellow 
citizen, Lucius J. Knowles, had rooms in this block as a "pho- 
tographer," and by his advertisement in the .S/r it ap|)cars that he 
not only took daguerreoty|)es, Imt dealt largely in the instruments 
and chemicals used in the art.* .Although the Directory calls him 

•Mr. Knowle* had pmliahly been in WorccMcr tiul a short lime when he 
■tiarled in the dagucrrculype husineu, fur in July, 1840, he uas in Ihe ifru- 
cery huMnew in Shrewslmry, having just disoilvcd parlner»hi|i with Mr. John 
(". Newton. 



1 8 



a photographer, the word did not indicate what it does at present, 
for the art of photography, as we now understand it, was at that 
time in embryo, sun pictures on paper not being made here until 
several years later. 

Julius L. Clark, the late Insurance Commissioner of Massachu- 
setts, was keeping a dry goods store in Brinley Block ; and in 1842 
Messrs. Wall [J. H.] & Southwick [E.] had opened a boot and 
shoe store there, having removed from the block just south of the 
United States Hotel. Moses D. Phillips, afterwards of the firm of 
Phillips. Sampson & Co., Boston, for several years kept a book- 
store in this block, and had upon his shelves the best publications 
of the day. He also sold j^aper hangings, was agent in Worcester 
for the celebrated Brandreth's pills, and, as its librarian, had the 
books of the Worcester Lyceum in his store. 

Pliny Merrick, afterwards Judge of the Supreme Court, had an 
office up stairs under the hall, as did the late Judge Benjamin F. 
Thomas and George W. Richardson. Other occupants of stores 
in the block from 1838 to 1840 were Benjamin Butman, West India 
goods ; and T. W. & C. P. Bancroft, furniture ware rooms, later in 
the auction business.* 

The Citizens' Bank, with P'rancis T. Merrick as president, and 
George A. Trumbull as ca,shier, was in the store at the corner of 
Maple street, lately made so attractive by the opening of Mr. F. A. 
Knowlton's jewelry establishment. Up stairs was the office of the 
Manufacturer's Mutual Fire Insurance Company, with John W. 
Lincoln as president, and Samuel .\llen as secretary. The print- 
ing office of the jWaisai/u/siUs Spy, then under the management 
of the late John Milton Karle, was up the same stairway. 

Turning to the south on Main street, at our right was the "Wor- 
cester House," with a circular driveway leading to the portico with 
its large wooden pillars, and a yard in front filled with horse chest- 
nut and other shade trees. On the south side were beautiful large 
elms, the last of which was removed a few years ago by Mr. James 
H. Wall, then the owner and landlord of the Worcester House. 



•Mr. C. P. Bancroft 
Boston. 



still liviiijj and can ving on the furniture business in 



19 

This was an olil tavern location, Laiit. 1 hunias Mcarnc iteing a 
landlord on tliis spot as early as 1732, and he was succeeded by 
his widow, Mary Stearne, in 1772, who kept the house (which be- 
fore the Revolution was known as the "King's Anns") till her death 
in 1 7S4. In I 773 and 4 it was the resort of the Loyalists, and also 
the place of meeting of the "American Political Society," which 
was composed of the leailing Whigs of the town. It was in this 
old tavern that the famous Loyalist Protest of 1774 was prepared 
by James Putnam, Dr. William Paine, and other |)roniinent Ix)yal- 
ists of the town. This ])rotest, you will remember, was entered on 
the town records by Clark Chandler, (nephew of Sheriff Ciardiner 
Chandler,) the Tory Town Clerk, who was afterwards obliged by 
the patriotic men of Worcester, and in their presence, "to obliter- 
ate, erase, or othcnvise deface the said recorded protest, and the 
names thereto subscribed, so that it may become utterly illegible 
and unintelligible." That this was most elTectually done may be 
seen by examining the records now in charge of the City Clerk.* 

Many years later the late (lov. Levi Lincoln came into posses- 
sion of the property and erected a brick dwelling house, occupying 
it for several years until he built the Lincoln mansion on Elm street, 
now owned by his grandson, Mr. Waldo Lincoln. In 1824 the 
Mar(|uis de Lafayette was the guest of Judge Lincoln! in this house, 
as were afterwards many other tlistinguished men, who undoubtedly 
fullv appreciated the generous hospitality for which their host was 
noted. 'I'he house and grounds immediately surrounding it came 
into the hands of David T. Brigham about the year 1835, who 
converted it into a hotel, and was for a time its landlord. He 
added wings on each side of the house, as shown in the large lith- 
ograph of the "Worcester House" published in 1837 or 8. .At this 

• .\ reduced facsimile of a page of the town record was made by the he- 
liotype process and published in 1876 in a paper prepared by the writer of 
the!>c "Recolleclion.s," entitled, "Historical and Chronolngical Notes on the 
Town of Worcester." 

tMr. Lincoln had lately received an appoinlmeul to the bench of the Su- 
preme Court. 



20 

time Lysander C. Clark (brother of William C. Clark) had become 
the landlord, and remained there for three or four years.* 

Mr. Brigham was well known in Worcester as a speculator, es- 
pecially in real estate, and I have recendy seen evidence of this in 
the form of a circular advertisement issued by him in the summer 
of 1836. In this he announces the sale by auction in Boston, of 
seventy-five building lots on Union Hill in Worcester, and after 
calling attention to the prosperity and rapid growth of the town, 
says : "There are twenty cotton, woolen, wire and paper mills, 

and machine factories 'J'he population of the town has 

more than doubled since the census of 1830" ; and as if to add 
especial weight to what he had said as to the desirability of the 
property offered for sale, concludes the advertisement in these 
words : "I am interested in the above jjroperty, and all the state- 
ments may be relied upon." I am not informed as to the number 
of lots sold, or the general financial success of the speculation, but 
the experience of later investors in the same locality, was not, I 
believe, considered very remunerative. 

I have said that Lysander C. Clark o|)ene(l the hotel about 1837 ; 
he was succeeded, I think, by Hiram Ciould. who became the land- 
lord in 1840 or 41, and in May of the last named year announces 
in the S/>j, that '"in consequence of strong expressions of public 
sentiment against the sale of spirituous liquors at hotels," and for 
other reasons, "he had closed his bar, and discontinued the sale 
of liquor" : and that the house thereafter would be known as the 
"Worcester Tem|)erance House." 

In 1840 Mr. Richard Eastcott and Mr. Alexander Hamilton, 
(known, probably, to most of you as Edward Hamilton, he having 
had his name changed soon after this period,) had rooms at the 

*A late wood engraving of the Lincoln mansion represents il with the 
wings above allucied to, but this is a mistake of the artist, for they were not 
a part of the house when occupied by Gov. Lincoln. I was informed by the 
late .Samuel Foster Haven, Li.. D., that he was one of the first occupants of a 
room in the south wing, and there are many now living who remember when 
the addition was made by Mr. lirigham. 




WORCESTER HOUSE 

Rr.8II>K.N<K I'l l.iA . I.KVI I.INfOI.S, t<U. 



21 

Worcester House, where they gave lessons in music. Mr. Rastcott 
will l)e reincmbered liy many as a jolly and dapper little Knglish- 
man, who occasionally gave concerts, playing himself either on the 
piano or violin. He was often assisted in these concerts by Mr. 
Hamilton. R. O. Ounhar, Kmory Perry and S. R. Ixland, names 
well known to all the music loving people of the town. 

Passing E^lni street on our way south we should find as now, 
Butman or Merchants Row, built in 1835-6, and e.\tending to Pearl 
street, presenting the same general appearance as it does to-day, 
the modem impro\ement of large plate glass windows in the lower 
story excepted. The first store, corner of Main and lilm streets, 
was occupied in 1839 by William and Stephen T. Coe,. apothe- 
caries, which firm was dissolved in November, 1840, by the death 
of the junior partner. This store, known then as No. g Merchants 
Row, or No. 188 .Main street, was shortly after occupied by the 
dry goods and notions store of Daniel Hey wood.* 

Over this comer store, at the rear, was for many years the office 
of Samuel M. Bumside, a well known lawyer of his day. He was 
tall and thin, with very striking features, which rendered him a per- 
son of rather market! apjjearance in our streets. He was a man of the 
strictest integrity, of sound learning, interested in literary pursuits, 
and especially in education and our common school system. In 
February. 182S, he issued a circular in which he announced his 
intention of opening a "1,-iw School" in Worcester. In it he says : 
"Most of the members of the Bar have given assurance of their 
ajiprobation of the plan." The pupils were "to be instructed daily 
together, or in classes in a hall to be provided for the purpose, by 
lectures, recitations and other exercises." I have not been able 
to a.scertain whether anything ever came from this circular, or that 
the school was started. 

L'p the same stairway with Mr. Burnside's office, at about the 
same period, was the office of I )r. Oliver H. Blood, "Surgeon Hen- 
list" : he- W.1-, thiTr .Is i-nrlv as 1837, and for several years after. 

* ll »n> i|uilc Liiiiiniun Ui .iilvcrli-'C all ihe nlorct in Hutnian l<i>» n« >ip|)u- 
»ile Ihe lUnton and \Vi>rcc<ter K. K. Depot. 



22 



An occupant of another room was Dr. H. G. Davis, who was there 
in October, 1839. Marsh and Emerson also had their pianoforte 
manufacturing rooms here, being the first makers of that instrument 
in Worcester ; after a few years of business here they removed to 
Providence. 

T. W. Butterfield & Co., (A. H. Bullock) publishers of the Na- 
tional ^'Egis, had their printing office in the third story, in the rooms 
now connected with the publication of the Evening Gazette. The 
editor of the .■Egis in 1840 was the late Samuel F. Haven, ll. d., 
for many years the learned librarian of the American Antiquarian 
Society. He was succeeded in the editorial chair by the late Hon. 
Alexander H. Bullock. 

In 1838 the next store in the Row (No. 7) was occupied by 
Rufus D. Dunbar, watchmaker and jeweller, who, in October of 
that year, formed a copartnership with Simeon N. Story. (Still in 
busines.s on Main street.) After remaining there a short time, the 
firm removed farther north on Main street, this location being 
con.sidered too far up town for successful business. They were 
succeeded in this store by Nathaniel Tead, hatter; and in 1842 
Handy, Luther iv: Co. had opened a clothing store there, the bus- 
iness being still carried on in the same place by Bigelow & Longley. 

The next store, known as 194 Main street, was opened soon 
after the block was completed, by Francis Blake, who did a large 
business in the West India goods trade. He advertises in the Spy 
an extensive assortment of all ordinary groceries, also wines and 
ale, and much that is now known under the name of fancy gro- 
ceries, such as preserves, dried fruits, sardines, &c., also choice 
Havana cigars, — and in those days real Havana cigars could be 
bought in Worcester at a moderate price. Mr. Blake was suc- 
ceeded by Butman (Beiij.) \- Burt, (Simeon) who continued the 
business, and in 1842-3 were occujjying the store. 

The next door, where tile entrance to the editorial room of the 
Gazette now is, would take us up stairs to the law otfice of William 
Lini:oln. better known to us as the historian oi Worcester than as 
a lawyer. Mr. Lincoln died at the early age of forty-two, but left 
behind him abundant eviilence that he was a~ worker in other fields 
than that of the law, and that he was called upon to serve the town in 



23 

many ways. He was much interested in the public schools, sening 
on the school board several years, anil always taking an interest in 
educational matters. He was also actively interestetl in the .Agri- 
cultural Society, antl, as chairman of one of the committees on pre- 
miimis, often prepared reports which are still remembered as spark- 
ling with wit and humor, and abounding with practical suggestions. 
His great work, however, was the "History of Worcester," and al- 
though with the greater facilities we have to-day, and information 
that the lapse of time has brought to light, we may now find some 
errors and many omissions, it is still more full and complete than 
anything since published on the subject. That he made great ef- 
forts to get at the tnith and to present the facts, is evident to any- 
one who has examined the vast amount of manuscript matter left 
by him and now in the library of the American Anti(|uarian Society. 
Here are copies of letters of inquiry to prominent citizens asking 
for inforuiation as to some local event in the history of the town, 
or for st.itistics as to the business done here ; also letters from the 
officials at the State House, answering questions in regard to ma- 
terial there. Besides, there are jiages of manuscript copied from 
the state and town archives, both by himself and officials, showing 
that he took great pains to get at the original material ; and if his 
life had been spared, the new edition he w.is at work upon would 
have un<loubtcH!ly shown that he was ready to correct, as well as 
to add to, the matter in the first edition. 

The next store, No. 4 in the Row, (No. 198 Main street) where 
Mr. Kngland now carries on the watch and jewelry business, was 
in 1839 occupied by .Mr. H. H. Chamberlin, (a member of this 
Society who has ad<led valuable local historical items to its arch- 
ives) as "dealer in car|x-ts, feathers and furnishing goods." The 
previous year he had l)een in "Brinley Row," and in March, 1840. 
removed to "I'aine's Block," having bought out Mr. H. Sabin, Jr., 
•lealer in crockery and earthern ware. This business was carried 
on for a while by \[r. Chamberlin in connection with the sale of 
firy goods, a combination of trades not uncommon at that tinie. 
Mr. H. B. Clallin, now doing an extensive business in New York, 
and then in the dry goods traile here, also dealt largely in china 
anri earthern ware. 



24 

Mr. Chamberlin wns succeeded in tliis store by Joel Fletcher, 
who in June, 1840, advertises that he has "for sale at No. 4 But- 
man Row, Confectionery, Cake, Ice Cream and Soda." In Sep- 
tember, 1840, Mr. J. W. Hartwell occupied it, and in November 
of the same year, B. F. Mann, both of whom were in the dry goods 
business. Two or three years later, Mr. J. H. Everett, a rather 
eccentric individual, was occupying the same store and in the same 
business. 

J. P. Kettell was one of the original occupants of the "Row," 
having removed there from "Goddard's Row," which was north of 
Thomas street. He was in the hat, cap and fur business, and only 
remained a few years in the block, when he removed farther down 
street, which in that day was considered a more eligible jjosition 
for business. In June, 1841. after the fire in the block opposite, 
this store was for a short time occupied by J. B. Tyler & Co., then 
by J. H. Rickett in the dry goods business.* The latter was- suc- 
ceeded by Meltiah B. Green, under the firm name of Jam'.-s Green il: 
Co., who for many years dealt out drugs and patent medicines, and 
compounded prescriptions for the ailing. The newspapers of that 
day show that patent medicines for the cure of all diseases that 
flesh is heir to, were about as plenty then as now, a page and a 
half of the Spy being taken up with advertisements extolling the 
healing powers of "Indian Balsam," "Balm of Life," Soothing 
Syrups, Matchless Sanative, Jayne's Expectorant, Compound To- 
mato Pills, and Phelps's Arcanmn. Some of my hearers will ]5rob- 
ably remember the elaborate lithograph, issued to call attention to 
the merits of the last named preparation. This picture, with its 
rows of bottles supporting a dome or canopy, over which floated a 
winged figure with a scroll bearing the words : "Phelps's .Arcanum," 
and about the base boxes of the medicine directed to all parts of 
the world, derives special interest from the fact that it was designed 
and drawn on the stone by George L. Brown, before sj^oken of. and 
now an eminent American landscape artist. t 

*This was the store now occu|iied by the Ailrtms Kxpiess Conip.iny. J. I'.. 
Tyler was for many years messenger for Ixonanl's lioston iK: Woiceslcr Ex- 
press. 

t Represented in the lithograph were twenty or more men and women sup- 



MainS't ftvinl'o'^ler ti^Meck^vtic^l tS}^ '/i. 


hAoc/i.i>rirSi 




y^.yl'it. 1 


[ 


I— 


Ml- /a" 


1 


? 'V a"'-"^: 


3 

s. 

L 

7 

V. 


1 r.-r 

k 








'ti. 






T>c'l>ot 




F.l,u it 


I 




ttf 
in 
lie 










1 






|f^) 








fnjT. 


.St 








M^pteSL 



A roDgh diagram of Main Street, between Foster and Mechanic Streets. 



r: 



197 



IT I 



Xm. -JOT. ; l<l:iiii'li;ir<l \ I,<miic lN:i!l. 

U'-iirc * \Vvir;iiit 1S4(I. 

I K. W. Kuli.ii & Co 1841. 

210. I J. I'. .S.iiillr,':ili- & Co., ..1838. 

; W. 1>. LcwiH IS.'BI. 

■JOl. I.'ikiii .V lli'iiii.x.. 1840. 

.Snr.iii & Co 1S.-B. 

100. ; Ijuniir.l \ Tyirr 1x30. 

I J. B. TjUr A- Co 1810. 

K. V. Dixit- & Co 1840. 

' Cnli'li Nrwcoml). 

I JniiKv. II. Willi 1840. 

105. Wm. Coc. 

I .lohn Wnr.lin IHJI. 

, C. C. Cln|.p 1840. 

I .'». P. Kllch, 1842. 

IIU. I.CVI Clupi.. .IMO. 

I N'uthiin lliirkiii'-- ISX>. 

IWl. >:|iii'.ili Tll>i||||i<.li|l .I.-MI. 

A. M. llrl.r.ill 1K4I. 

K>. Ili-nry .Hcoii.. .i-:i. 
IXt. .lahc/ HlKf|..H |M;ai. 



103. 



108. 



IWI. 
104- 



102. 



HIT). 



So. 2<M. W. k A. Urtiwi I,s;t5. 

I Kiiiory \Vii.«lil)iirii, \M0. 

202. ; Cliii-. \V. llaiishorn, ..-.1840. 
I I. M. Harlon. 

J. P. Kctlcll & Co IS«.5. 

.J. ». Tyler & Co., 1841. 

^^- }.). II. Kickitt 1841. 

I M. H. Green. 

H. H. ChanilxTlIn 183!). 

.1. Fletcher 1S40. 

.1. K. Ilarlwell 1840. 

K. F. .Miiiin A Co. 

.). H. Ever«lt. 

Win. I.lmol 1830. 

J Fruiii'l- Hluke 1830. 

I Riitiiiaii .V Hurt 1842. 

Diinliiir (K. I>.|, nip'low 
(■lohn I & Co., 18311. 

IHinlmr A- ."^tory 1838. 

Nalh'l 'IVml, 1840. 

Handy. I.iilliir A Co.,. ..1842. 

8. M. Ilnrnnhh' |H40. 

Maroli tt Kini'rMin, IrctO. 

Nnllonnl .K/U 1840. 

<i. II. III...I.I. M. I> 1840. 

W. A K. H. CcM- IKKI. 



18N. 



I 



W. AS. T. <<H!, .. 
I'. IIi'TwimmI. 



. . I SIT. 



23 

Next door south, up stairs, were the offices of Emory \V;ishl)urn, 
Charles \V. Hartshorn, Ira M. Barton, antl other lawyers. The 
Pearl street corner store of this block was continuously occu|)ied 
from the time of its completion in 1S35-6 until 1S70, a periotl of 
aljout thirty-five years, by members of the same family, and in the 
same business, that of merchant tailors. The firm of William & 
.Mliert Hrown were the first occupants, and were surceedcil by \V. 
iV. .\. Hrown iS: Co., the company being Theophilus Hrown, then 
by \V. & T. Brown. A son of the last named, W. T. Brown, still 
carries on the business ori Main street, a few doors farther south. 

Just in the rear of this block, on Pearl street, was the house oc- 
cupied early in 1840 by the late Charles A. Hamilton, and later in 
the same year by Dr. Joseph S.irgent, who remuve<l from a house 
on the other side of Pearl street, where Chapin Block now is. Un- 
der a large elm tree just east of this house, between that and But- 
inan Row, was a rendezvous for the boys of the neighborhood after 
s< hool hours. Here we had our games of "I spy," marbles, etc., 
or made plans for foot ball and other out-door sports to take place 
in the o|)en space at the head of Pearl street, and just west of the 
prjsent location of Plymouth Church. 

At the south corner of Main and Pearl streets, where the City 
National Bank now is, was in 1840 the hardware store of Calvin 
Foster M: Co. 'I'his store, at some time previous to 1836, had 
been owned and occupied by Merrick & Dowley. In 1837 New- 
comb, (Caleb) Brown (.Vbijah) & Co. (the company being Calvin 
Foster) movefl from the corner of Main and Front streets to this 
store. The firm was dissolved in March, 1838, and Newcomb & 
Foster took the business (hardware, stoves and tinware) under the 
name of C. Newcomb iV (.'0.; they in turn were succeede<l by 
Newcomb iV Bowen. ( F,. H.) In June, 1S40, a copartnership was 
formed between Mr. Foster and .Amos Brown, and they continued 
the business under the name of Calvin Foster iV Co., the senior 
partner remaining in the business there for years after. 

IHMCil lo have been henled liy Ihc use of Ihc ".\rc.iinini," one of »%hom is 
viifl lo lie rhcljx, Ihc invcnior. 'Hlicrs arc |M>rlrails of ciii/cnn of Shrcws- 
Itiiry, Ihc home of ihe invcnior. 



26 

In the second story of this building Stephen Bartlett, collector 
of taxes for the town and some of the religious parishes, had an 
office. The building, which you will remember as a wooden one, 
two stories high, and two or three steps at the front entrance, was 
removed in 1853-4, when the present iron front store was erected 
by Mr. Foster.* 

The next building was the two-story brick store, owned by Judge 
Nathaniel Paine, the ground on which it stood now being covered 
by the store of Ware, Pratt & Co. Here in 1S39-40 Daniel Hey- 
wood carried on the dry goods business, dealing more especially 
in small goods, tapes, buttons, needles and the like. Some years 
earlier Heywood, Paine (F. VV.) & Paine (Gardiner) were in this 
building, doing a large mercantile business for that day. Other 
occupants since Mr. Heywood have been E. F. Dixie in the gro- 
cery, and George Bowen in the hide and leather business. The 
office over the store was occupied by Henry Paine, counsellor at 
law. He was twin brother of Charles Paine, who in 1841-2, built 
a brick block on the corner of Main and Pleasant streets. Dr. 
Henry G. Bates was also an occupant of this office. 

On the corner of Main and Pleasant streets was the estate of 
Nathaniel Paine, Judge of Probate for the County of Worcester 
thirty-five years. The house, which was removed in 1S43-4 to 
Salem street, where it now is, was a large square building, shingled 
on the outside, the front door being in the center. At the rear 
was a long extension, in which was an old-time kitchen, a large open 
fire place with its iron crane being conspicuous therein ; back of 
this came the wash room, etc. In the rear of this was the wood- 
shed, long enough, I should think, to make a good bowling alley, 
then came the corn and grain house, and on the south side next 
to Pleasant street, the barn, which was about where the Second 
Baptist Church now stands. Back of this was the orchard and 
vegetable garden, extending nearly up to Chestnut street. The 
house was surrounded by shade trees ; in front, I remember, were 
large butternuts, and on the south side, two immense mulberry 
trees, while on Pleasant street, along the whole line of the lot, were 

♦This w.is the first complete iicin front building erectetl in New Fngland. 



I 



i 



i 



27 

l)utton\voo(is. On the comer was a small one-story building, used 
as an office by Juilge I'aine, which after his death was for a short 
time occupied by a William Jones as a barber's shop. It was on 
Judge I'aine's garden fence, on Pleasant street, that, fifty or sixty 
years ago, the old Fire Society kept one of their long ladders for 
use in case of fire. These ladders were occasionally borrowed by 
builders when any especially high building was to be constnicted, 
as was the case when the first Worcester Hank block on Main 
street was erected in 1804.* 

My remembrance of my grandfather, though somewhat indistinct, 
is, that he was <iuite tall anil very straight, of a florid complexion, 
and rather a stern and dignified appearance. He used to wear a 
long white neck handkerchief wound several times about his neck, 
and a long, light colored surtout with two or three capes, all of 
which wxs very ini|>ressive to my youthful mind. 

I have already spoken of the .American Temperance House at 
the north comer of Main and Foster streets. Near the south corner 
We should have found a two-story wooden building, (formerly 
owned and occupied by John W. Stiles as a dwelling house) with 
an ell part projecting out to Foster street. In this ell part, with an 
entrance from Foster street, were rooms up stairs occupied in 1839- 
40 by Jabe/ Bigelow, wire worker and weaver, who was afterwards 
in this part of the building on Nonvich street, to which jjlace it was 
removed when the erection of the Universalist church was decided 
u|>on. It now forms a part of the building occupied by Cieorge H. 
Clark an<l Henry W. Kddy. .\Ir. Samuel Wilmarth, one of the 
first engineers of the Hoston and Worcester railroad, also lived for 
some time in the second story of the Stiles house. There were 
two stores in this building, with entrances on Main street, the first 
I)cing occupied by Henry S<:olt, the colored barber ; and in 1839- 
40 Nathan Harkness (for many years City bill poster) keju a cake 
and confectionery store in the south side. This last named store 
was, a year or two later, occupied by Simeon Thoinpson as a news- 

•The Paine hoiiM: was occupicil fur n short lime .iflcr Mr. Charles I'aine 
(»nn of Ihc juilge) left it in l)t4l, l>y Joseph l.ovrll ami Charles II. Kiie. 



28 

paper agency, and for the sale of fruit and confectionery.* Here 
he sold the Olive Braiuh, Boston Notion, Brother 'yonaihan, 
Yankee Nation and other papers whose names were familiar forty 
)'ears ago. Mr. A. M. Driscoll, in the wat('hmaking and jewelry 
business, was for a year or two in the store with Mr. Thompson. 

Next south, across the passage way to the depot, was the hat 
and cap store of Levi Clapp, it being on the same spot as that now 
occupied by his son, F. A. Clapp, who continues the business. In 
this building was also the store of Charles C. Clapp (shoe findings), 
and S. P. Fitch, who had bought out James H. Wall, in the boot 
and shoe^business. The next building, a small wooden one, was 
occupied about 1840 by James H. Wall for a short time, and then 
by William Coe, the druggist, who had removed from the opposite 
side of the street. In the second story of this store was John 
Warden, the tailor, about 1840-41. 

Across another passage way to the depot, was the grocery store 
of?". F. Dixie (previously occupied by Benj. Butman in the same 
business) ; he was succeeded in this store by Caleb Newcomb, in 
the hardware, stove and tinware trade. The next store south on 
Main street was, in 1838, occupied by H. Sabin, Jr., in the crock- 
ery and glass ware trade. He was succeeded, in January, 1839, 
by Leonard (S. S.) & Tyler (J. B.), hatters, who, in February, 
1840, dissolved partnership, J. B. Tyler & Co. continuing the busi- 
ness, the company being J. H. Knights. Mr. Leonard had started 
his Boston and Worcester express in August, 1840, with his head- 
quarters in the store of J. B. Tyler & Co. ; and his son. Gen. 5. H. 
Leonard, sold papers and periodicals at the same place. 

Next was a passage way leading to the livery stable of Nahum 
Parker, and then a small wooden building erected by E. F. Dixie, 
where in 1840-41 Lakin & Bemis manufactured and sold boots 
and shoes. On the corner of Main anil Mechanic streets was 
a two-story wooden building, known as the Denny house ; this 
was occupied at the time of the fire of May 30, 1841, which de- 
stroyed this antl the next two buildings north, by Francis W. Katon 

* Mr. Thompson had pievimisly been in a store near the Central F.xchange, 
and was agent for Harnden iSr Co.'s Express. 



& Co.,* tailors, and J. V. Southgatc & C'o.'s shoe and leather store, 
the company being Solomon Trask. HIanehard & Lesure, tailors. 
were In the north store of this building early in 1840. In May, 1838, 
Mr. Sotithgate and James H. Wall formed a ( Dpartncrship and had a 
store in this building ; they were succeeded there in February. 1839, 
by \V. I). Lewis, merchant tailor. .At the time of the fire, a Mr. 
Mentzer had a victualling cellar in the basement, wiiich two years 
earlier had been occupied by Mr. .\. Thompson, who, in the S/>y 
of Deceml)er, 1839, advertises that he has taken the cellar at the 
comer of Main and Mechanic streets, "where may be found at all 
times, lots of stuff to gratify the taste of the ejiicure, and give vigor 
to the faint and wear)-." What this "stuff" was we are left to iin- 
agine, but the eleven o'clock callers of that day could have prob- 
ably spoken from experience. 

The fire of 184 1 was a destructive one, and besides the build- 
ings I have named as burnt, that of Mr. Dixie very narrowly es- 
caped. Our highly esteemed fellow citizen, Henry W. Miller, was 
Chief Engineer of the Fire Department at the time of this fire, and 
the late Osgood Bradley was one of his assistants. A new l)lock 
was erected on the corner by (ieorge Howen, which was also de- 
stroyed by fire in May, 1 844, the occupants then being K. H. Uowen 
\- Co., Perkins & Flanders, I^ikin & liemis, A. P. Lesure, and 
Tenney (J. A.) & Rice (Charles), the last named firm having a 
restaurant in the basement of the north store. 

.At the south corner of Meihanic street we should find a small, 
one-story wooden building, used for many years as a stage office, 
occupied by Simeon Burt, Alvan .Allen, and others interested in 
staging fifty years ago. .After the Central Exchange was burnt in 
1843, the I'ost ()ffi<c, then under the rare of Maturin I,. Fisher, 
was for a time in this building ; and still later I.. 1.. Mason kept 
a jewelry store there. 

The United .States Hotel, which formerly stood where Clark's 
Block nr>w is, was built alwut 1818 by William Hovey, inventor 
and manufacturer of the straw and hay cutters mu( h in use thirty 

• K. \V. I-Jilim i"t Co. Miccecilcd in .M.irth, 1841, Ixinrc \ WyKunl. in llic 
more four <liii>r« nnrlh nf the I'nilol Sl.Tlr- llnlcl. 



30 

or forty years ago. It was at first called the Worcester Hotel, and 
in 1820 was kept by Oliver Eager. In 1827 the late George T. 
Rice purchased it, and it was afterwards known as the United 
States Hotel. In 1840 and a few years after the landlord was 
William C. Clark. 

It was on this spot that the first tavern, after the final settlement 
of the town, was built by Capt. Moses Rice, the land having been 
set off to him by the "Proprietors," and a plan of it can be seen 
in the volume of the "Proprietors' Records" recently published by 
the Society of Antiquity. In September, 1742, the property came 
into the hands of Col. John Chandler, known afterwards as the 
"Honest Refugee." He resided here until about the time of the 
Revolution, when the property was confiscated, Col. Chandler be- 
ing a pronounced Tory, and having gone to England about the 
breaking out of the war. It was afterwards assigned to Mrs. Chand- 
ler as her dower, she remaining at home instead of accompanying 
her husband. In 1803 it became the property of Capt. I^phraim 
Mower, who had kept it as a hotel since i 79 1 ; and as I have 
stated, it became in 1818 the property of William Hovey. 

Crossing the driveway to the stables of the hotel, we come to 
the two story wooden building, in the second story of which, as 
early as 1827, Christopher Columbus Baldwin had an office. He 
was librarian of the American Antitiuarian Society from 1831 to 
1835, ^"'^ '" 1829 editor of the National ^'Egis. The first store 
in this building, going south, was, in 1837, occupied by John 
Birney, in the tailoring and clothing business, who, in December 
of that year, was succeeded by W. D. Lewis. In 1839 Lakin & 
Stone, boot and shoe manufacturers, were in this building, and in 
1842-3 J. P. Southgate was carrying on the shoe findings business 
here ; at the same time Mr. Charles Rice was keeping a restaurant 
in the basement. In 1S43 the south store was occupied by S. Bill- 
ings, dealer in hats and caps.* 

Next was the low wooden building, with several stores, known 
as the "Old Compound." There were so frequent changes in the 

♦Leonard Biigham (E. L. lirigham), merchant tailor, occupied the first 
store south from the hotel in 1835, and about the same time Henry Scott, 
the barber, had a room up stairs in the same building. 



o 

O 

m 

C/5 



CO 



I- 

L 



it. 




ocfupants of ihis building between 1836 and 1S43, ihal it is ditti- 
ciilt to give with accuracy the ilates of occupancy. Among tlie 
earliest in business here may be mentioned C. Newcomb & Co. 
(stoves and hardware), who were in the corner store, and John 
Weiss, the barber. 'I'he latter I well remember as a quiet, pleasant 
old gentleman, who always had a kind word for his patrons, |)ar- 
ticularly for the boys who came to have their hair cut. In 1839 
Jeremiah Kond was in the corner store, having removed from the 
one two or three doors north ; and in 1840 John Coe, the ai)othe- 
cary, occupied the same store. In 1844 C'lough, the colored bar- 
ber, had his shop in the building, as did f. H. Robbins (boots and 
shoes), and S. P. Champney (jeweler). 

On the west side of Main street, at the south corner of I'lcasani, 
was the West India goods and grocery store of James .Shepard & 
Son ; they hail moved from the south store in the same block, and 
Mr. She|)ar<l, senior, hati some years before had a store in the base- 
ment of the Town Hall. L. .A. Dowley also carried on the shoe 
and leather business in this block, and there was a third store in 
the block, but who the occupants were in 1840 I do not remember. 
Just beyond, and nearly opposite the Town Hall, was a small, one- 
story l)uilding, in which W. .\. Draper & Co. (Otis Corbett) dealt 
in leather and hides.* 

The Isaac Davis house and grounds, opposite the f)ld South 
Church, you are all probably familiar with, as the house was re- 
moved only a few years ago, to make room for business blocks. 
The garden of Col. Davis, with trees, shrubs and llowers, made the 
place very attractive. B;ick of the hjuse, and not far from the 
present location of the Fire Patrol, was a greenhouse filled with 
beautiful flowers. This, with the fountain in the garden on the 
north si<le of the house, were considered, forty years ago, as novel- 
ties ; the foimtain was the only one that I can remember as in the 
town at that liine. Col. Davis purchased the lot on which he built 
his house, of Benjamin Hutman in 1836, for alnjut S5000. 

On the site now covered by the stone front block of Mr. R. C. 

•The p.irMinnf!e hmisc of ihc Kcv. N.iac Uiirr, ihc sclkiuI miniHicr i>f the 
Olil Suulh ( hiirch, was on Itic wulh corner of Main and I'lcasani sirccis, 
al>nut one hundred year* earlier than the lime of which I am siieakin^. 



Taylor, was the residence of the late Judge Ira M. Barton. 'I"his 
was one of the ancient mansions of the town, having been built, it 
is supposed, about the year 1750, by Sheriff Gardiner Chandler,* 
at which time the estate comprised several acres of land. Sheriff 
Chandler bought this land of Daniel Ward in May, i 750. for ^326. 
13. 4, and built his house a little north of Mr. Ward's old residence. 
After Sheriff Chandler's death the property came into the posses- 
sion of his son, Gardiner Leonard Chandler, and he, in September, 
1800, sold the house, barn, and thirty-one and one-half acres of 
land, to Jotham Bush for §5,500. In 1805 it was conveyed to 
John Bush, Jr., and in 1818 Richard, son of the last named, sold 
it for $9000 to Benjamin Butman, who lived here for a few years, 
and in 1827 sold the house and ground immediately about it to 
Calvin Willard,t for twenty years High Sheriff of Worcester County, 
who Hved there three or four years. 

In 1831 Mr. Willard conveyed the property to eleven gentlemen 
of Worcester, J who purchased it, as I have been informed, for the 
purpose of establishing in the mansion a first class private school 
for the education of young ladies. In 1832 a Mrs. Wells opened 
a boarding school for young ladies in the house, and subsequently 
John Wright carried it on for a few years. Mr. Wright will be re- 
membered as the successor of Charles Thurber, teacher of the Latin 
grammar school on Thomas street. 

The Chandler mansion, which stood at the foot of what was 

* Sheriff Chandler was a son of Hon. John Chaniller, who came to Wor- 
cester from Woodstock at the time the County was estal)Iishe<l. 

t Sheriff Willard is remembered as a gentleman of the old school, very 
dignified, polite and courteous to all, who died in Septeniher, 1867, honored 
and respected by the community in w-hich he had so long resided. He seemed 
to add a special dignity to the Court as he ushered them to the Uench, dressed 
in his blue coat with gilt buttons, a Inifl' vest, rutHed shirt, and his sword of 
office buckled about his waist. 

JThe gentlemen who purchased the property of Sherifi' Willard were Re- 
joice Newton, Levi Lincoln, John Davis, Isaac Davis, I'liny Merrick, Ceorge 
T. Rice, Abijah Higelow, lieniamin Butman, Thomas Kinnicull, .-Xlfred I). 
Koster and Simeon Burt. Mr. Kosler soon sold out his interest to one of the 
other owners. 




^-~::_ ~7PZ' 



PARSONAGE HOUSE OF REV. ISAAC BURR, 
CoRSEn OF Main am> I'i.kasant Stkef.ts. 1740. 



? 

.* 




THE CHANDLER (BARTON) MANSION. 
Hrii.T Aiioi-r iTfiO. 



known ;iM Nubility hill, camo into the possession of the late Judge 
B;irton in 1834, anil he resideii there until his death in 1S67. In 
a large room in the three-story ell on the north side, there used to 
1k', .is I am infornietl by Mr. William S. Ikirton, a fine piece of 
wood carving ovt-r the mantle, rc|)resenting the lion anil unicorn. 
The wood cut illustration of the Chandler or Barton house, here 
given, is from a photograph taken a short time before it was 
demolished, and gives a good idea of its appearance at that time. 
In the yard in front, and also on Main street, were tall buttonwood 
trees planted by Sheriff Cham Her, which, with the shrubbery, maile 
it one of the most attractive old-time mansions anil grounils in 
town. The artist who copied the photograph has maile the barn 
of Col. Isaac Davis, just north of the house, appear as an ell, and 
has also neglecteil to indicate the low windows in the third story 
of the tnie ell. 

It was not my intention in this paper to speak of any buildings 
on Main street south of Park street, but I will mention the house 
of the late Judge Charles .Allen, which was on the south corner of 
Park street, with its garden extending for some distance on Main 
street, and back to the Nonvich anil Worcester railroad. On the 
op|xjsite side of Main street, and extending nearly to .Austin street, 
was "Nobility Hill" ; among the residents there were Kdward 
Denney (in the Dr. Sargent house). .Anthony Chase ( 184^), and 
( leorge T. Rice. 

Of the Old South Church, built in 1763. it is nut ir-< cssary to 
say much, as its history is well known to you all, and is often re- 
ferred to in the publications of this Society. In the early ilays of 
the town this church was used not only for religious sen-ices but 
.is a |jlace for town meetings, for the annual elections, and any 
business reijuiring the action or approval of the citizens. The 
Declaration of Inde|)cndence was first publicly read in Massa- 
chusetts from the roof of the west porch of this church, the reader 
lieing Isaiah Thomas, the patriotic eilitorof the Ma^ismhusflli Sfiy ; 
and it was in the S/>\ that the Declaration was printed. July 17, 
1776, for the first lime in a New Kngland newspaper. Various 
changes have been made in the appearance of this ancient eilifire 
sim I- It-, iTii linn, lidili in its exterior anil interior ; but I ihiiik that 



34 

the members of this Society will agree witli me in thinking that it 
is a great pity this historic building of our city could not have been 
allowed to retain more of its old-time beauty and simplicity. 

The Town Hall, as originally erected in 1824-5, "'^s a much 
smaller building than it now is, it having been enlarged by an addi- 
tion to the east end about the year 1841. In this year there were 
three entrance doors in front, there having been but two originally. 
Some years later, in order to make more room for offices, one of 
the stairwa)s was removed, and at the same time the doors on each 
side of the center were given up.* The lower story, over the 
present police office and lockup, was arranged for two small halls, 
known as the east and west town halls, and were used for meetings 
of societies and political gatherings, and also rented for exhibitions 
and various other purposes. After the enlargement of the building, 
the upper hall was for several years used by the town for elections 
and other municipal purposes. For many years the lectures of the 
Worcester Lyceum were given in this hall. Here, too, in 185 1, 
Jenny Lind sang before one of the largest audiences ever gathered 
within its walls ; and the first concerts of the famous Germania 
Band in Worcester were given there, the popular director of our 
Musical Festivals, Carl Zerrahn, being the flutist, and William 
Schultze, first violin. 

The east and west tow'n halls were used at the time of the an- 
nual cattle show for the exhibition of dairy products, needle work, 
and other useful and fancy articles which made up the indoor ex- 
hibition of that day. In the basement of the building, now used 
for police purposes, were three stores, occupied at various times 
by L. Burnet & Co. (G. Paine), Horace Ayres and James Shep- 
ard, in the grocery business ; and Joseph Converse, Leonard White, 
butchers, and others. .At the east end, with an entrance from the 
Common, was the engine house of Company No. 4, known as the 
"Torrent." 

In the upper hall, the speaker's desk was, for several years after 

* The coiner stone of the Town Hall was laid August 2, 1824, with masonic 
ceremonies; and the dedication took place M.ay 2, 1825, with an address by 
Hon. John Davis. 



o 




^x :ifp ^ 



33 

'■ m 



o 
o 







.-^ i 




i 




OLD SOUTH CHURCH, 1763. 



1 



35 

the enlargement of the Ijiiilding, on the north side ; three rows 
of benches, one raised above the other, extended round three sides 
of the room. The |>latform was afterwards removed to the east 
end, the (gallery there l)einn taken away to make room for it. The 
Worcester (liiards at one time had their armory in the attic at the 
west front of the building. On t'larendon Harris's map of the town, 
luiblished in 1829, is a cut showing the Town Hall as it was when 
first built ; another cut, published a few years ago, shows its ap- 
|)earance Injfore the town pump and the large elm trees at the head 
of Front street were removed. It was underthese trees that blind 
Dexter, the showman, uscti to station his exhibitiijn wagon, with its 
wonderful collection of waxworks, which if Dickens had seen, might 
have given him material for additions to his account of the famous 
collection of Mrs. Jarley. Mr. Dexter I remember as a very cor- 
pulent man, walking with difficulty and totally blind ; but notwith- 
standing his infirmity, he was not easily deceived by the street 
gamins of th.it day, when they undertook to palm off on him a 
counterfeit coin, or a ten cent piece instead of a ninepence, the reg- 
ul.ir price of admission. Those of you, who as boys saw the van 
which carried the show, looking very much like the traveling da- 
giierreotype palace of our day, will undoubtedly recall it, and the 
enjoyment you derived from seeing the '"lifelike" representations 
of Washington, den. Jack.son, or the blood-curdling murder of 
Jane M'Crea by the Indians, on exhibition inside. 

The Common, as you know, was originally much larger than it 
now is, extending as far north on Main street as Mechanic street, 
but was retiucefl to its present limits long previous to the time of 
which I am speaking. .\l)out 1840 or a little earlier, it presented a 
very different apjiearance from what it does to-day ; then two 
streets ran diagr)nally across it, one from Front to I'ark street, with 
a guide-lM>ard at the westerly end informing the traveler that it was 
the road to Millbury and Sutton ; the other was from the west end 
<)( t'ark street to Front street, near the present site of the Sol- 
diers' Monmneni. Near the site of the Higelow monument, and 
fronting west, was the gun house for the keeping of the cannon be- 
lonuing to the town ; also the hearse house, and hook and la<lder 
< oni|)any's (|uartc'rs. These builrlings were afterwards mo\ed to 
the ca.st side of the burial ground, fronting Salem si|uare. 



36 

The burial ground, situated at the east end of the Common, 
surrounded by a low stone wall, had an entrance on the west end ; 
and on the north side were the tombs of the Wheeler and Dix 
families. This old ground was given up for burial purposes many 
years ago, and those grave stones which were not removed were 
laid flat and covered with earth and sods. A member of this 
Society, with praiseworthy forethought, had copied the inscriptions 
from the old stones in the enclosure, and preserved them in printed 
form.* These inscriptions have since been republished by this 
Society, with historical notes, and inscriptions from the burial 
ground on Mechanic street. A plan of the ground was also made 
by order of the city authorities, and deposited in the office of the 
City Clerk. 

On the southeast corner of the Common there stood for many 
years, a one-story wooden school house, with a cupola and bell, 
which was used when I was a school boy, for the South Boys' Pri- 
mary School, then imder the charge of Miss Caroline Corbett, 
daughter of the late Otis Corbett. At one time it was used for the 
evening school for apprentices, which was afterwards kept in the 
lower town hall. 

Our present efficient Chairman of the Commission on Public 
Gounds would have been horrified at the uses made of the Com- 
mon forty or more years ago, for it was here that the county cattle 
shows were held. Four rows of pens for the exhibition of cattle, 
swine and sheep, were put up on the north side, near Front street, 
and extending from the Norwich railroad track nearly to where the 
Soldiers' Monument now is. The rest of the Common was given 
up to booths for the sale of refreshments of various kinds ; and 
auctioneers' wagons, from which they sold whips, dry goods, soap 
and cheap jewelry. Cheap jacks traveled about the Common and 
streets adjacent, selling toothache drops, razors, gilt rings, and nu- 
merous articles to tempt the rural visitor. Often there would be 
tents pitched on the Common for the exhibition of monstrosities 
of various kinds, such as a two-headed calf, a mammoth horse 

* Epitaphs fiom the Cemclery on Worcester Common, wilh Occasional 
Notes, References, anil an Index. Hy \V. S. liaiton. Worcester, 1848. Pp.36. 




TOWN HALL. 1840. 



37 

or ox, (at yirls, etc. .\< ross Front street, west of where the track 
of the Norwich railroad used to he, was an open space extending 
to Mechanic street, which was filled with stands fqr the sale of 
sheet gingerbread, cake, pies and confectionery, sweet cider and 
root beer. Here would be heard the loud call of the hot oyster 
man, to "walk up, tumble up. any way to get up, and buy a bowl 
of hot oysters," — very hot intieed, but with very few oysters. 

At the east end of the Common, now "Salem Sijuare" (then 
known as "Baptist Hill"), the trial of working oxen took place. 
Carts filled with stone were drawn and backed, up and down the 
hill, amid the plaudits of the crowd, and the efforts of the marshals 
to keep the lookers-on outside the line. 

Besides being used for the annual cattle show, the Common was 
the parade ground for the militia ; here they were reviewed, and 
salutes were fired from the town guns by Isaac Bartlett, the old 
gimner. for want of an organized artillery company. It was (juite 
the thing at that day for the military companies to march uj) and 
down Main street, firing salutes at different points in the street ; 
and I do not remember that any but ladies and timid children ob- 
jected. On Fast days it was the custom to have games of round 
ball on the Common, which attracted crowds of spectators, and to 
my minil were much more exciting than our modern base ball. 
Foot ball and <'ricket. too, were often |)layed here. .-\ local cricket 
club was organized twenty-five or thirty years ago, and used the 
Common for their practice games. 

.As long ago as 1839 and 40 the Common' was often used for 
tent shows, mostly those having on exhibition wild animals, or 
mammoth horses and cattle. One of the first shows I remember 
u|>f)n the Common, was alKiut 1839. when the first (liraffe or 
Cameleopard ever brought alive to .America was exhibited, with 
the Il)ex, 'the dark-eyeil Cazelle" and other tropical animals. In 
these early days, such a thing as a ciniis was not countenanced by 
the fathers of the town ; and those who wished to indulge their 
t.iste for the er|Mestrian arena, were obliged to go either to Millbury 
or Holden, the selectmen of those towns probably not l>eing afraid 
of such an unusual exhibition harming their constituents. One of 
the first cinuses that 1 can remember as licensed to exhibit here, 



was that of Rockwell & Stone, who set up their tents on the grounds 
now occupied by Rogers's block and the Baptist church on Pleas- 
ant street ; and evidently with a desire to show the good people of 
Worcester that no harm could ajme of it, they invited all the clergy- 
men of the town to attend the show, and distributed a pamphlet 
setting forth the wonders of the arena, and the strictly moral tone 
of the exhiliition. 

At the period of which I am speaking, it was customary for the 
smaller shows to have their headquarters at one of the taverns, and 
give exhibitions either in some room or in a tent in the yard out- 
side. In 1840 the S/>y announces that Mons. Behin, the Belgian 
Giant, "the tallest, strongest and best proportioned man in the 
world," will be at the United States Hotel, for one day and eve- 
ning only, on his way to Boston.* In 1838 the celebrated Siamese 
Twins were on exhibition at the Central Hotel ; and about the same 
time, a mastodon, one of the first discovered in the country, was 
exhibited at the same place. 

In connection with the subject of shows and exhibitions, I will 
mention an unusual incident which occurred at Worcester in the 
summer of 1843, and of which the newspapers of the day seem to 
have made no mention. The reporter of that period is not to be 
compared with the one of to-day in furnishing to newspaper read- 
ers local items which, if not of special interest at the time, would 
prove of historical value years after. It is, therefore, rather dis- 
appointing to find so little in the newspapers to refresh one's mem- 
ory, as to occurrences that at the time created great excitement in 
the town. 

In July of 1843, the S/>y contained an advertisement, with a cut 
of a buffalo at its head, announcing to the people of Worcester 
that there would be an exhibition in the rear of the Central Hotel, 
of a henl of fifteen buffiiloes, "captured in the Rocky Mountains." 

*"Mons. Behin" was afterwards on exhibition at Concert Hall, Boston, in 
c<)nnectit)n with IIarrinf;ton's Dioramas; and on a play-hill, now before me, 
announcing his appearance there, is a rough wood cut entitled a "Sketch of 
Mons. Behin as he appeared at the Bowery Theater when struggling with 
twelve men in the Giant of Palestine." 



39 

The pul>lic were also infoniicil that "no ilanfjcr need l)e ajipre- 
hen<ie<i, as they are |)erreetly tame, docile, anil harmless" ; also 
that, "as the expense of capturing and driving them from the 
mountains, is rr(///v <'«(>r///(>//j', a similar herd will probably never 
again be seen in this portion of America." 1 am quite sure there 
has never been such an exhibition in Worcester since, nor is there 
likely to be in the future, as that most unwillingly given to our cit- 
izens during the week advertised for this show. 

Briefly stated, the story current at the time was, that sometime 
during the night, or in the early morning of one of the days of ex- 
hibition, the ro|>es holding up the tent in whicii the bulTaloes were 
shown, were cut by some evil disposed persons, who may have 
been thirsting for a genuine buffalo hunt, and the whole hertl let 
l.iose in our streets. C)i" course everybody who was aware of the 
escape of the wild beasts became excited, and men and boys joined 
in the chase with the enraged owners, who were mounted on horse- 
back. The heni were soon separated, some going towards Holdcn, 
where they were afterwards captured ; and some went up Main 
street, towards Leicester, one or two of them l)eing taken in the 
pasture about opposite the present residence of Mr. T. H. Dodge. 
One I remember as being cha.sed by a crowd of men and boys, 
from Front street across to Mechanic street, and down what is now 
Union street, till finally the poor animal, excited almost to mad- 
ness, lea|)ed over a stone wall, six or seven feet high, which 
formed part of the foundation of Howe & Ooddard's (now Rice, 
Harton & Kales 's) machine shop, then in process of erection, and 
here he was easily captured. It was two or three days before they 
were all secured ; and the excitement of a veritable buffalo hunt in 
Worcester was one that the participants and lookers-on would not 
soon forget ; and, .is the advertisement set forth, "will probably never 
again be seen in this part of .America." 

Trusting you will pardon this digression, we will now return to the 
description of the (.'ommon and its surroundings. Just north of the 
school house, with an entrance facing the Baptist church, was the 
town |X)unil, an enclosure with a stone wall eight or nine feet in 
height, where the field drivers took stray rattle and swine found 



4° 

running at large. After the hearse ho'ise and otiier buildings were 
removed from the center of the Common, two of them were placed 
on the east end of the burial ground facing the square, and were 
there used for similar purposes. When the brick school house was 
erected on the Common, a little southeast of the Soldiers' Monu- 
ment, a room was provided, on the east end, for the hook and 
ladder company. 

In my boyhood days Salem square was known as "Baptist Hill" 
from the church of that denomination being located there. 'I'he 
hill was cut down some years ago, but was formerly quite steep, 
and afforded the boys of the neighborhood an excellent coasting 
place, and with no fears that a city marshal or policeman would in- 
terfere with the sport. The first Baptist meeting house, dedicated 
in 1813, was burnt in 1836 : and that fire is one of the earliest 
recollections of my youth ; living as I did at that time, in close 
proximity to it, a very vivid impression was made on my mind. 
The ..^v, in its report of the fire, says : "Not a single article was 
saved. . . . The pulpit was furnished with a pair of very valuable 
lamps, and the congregation had recently supplied themselves with 
new copies of Winchell's Watts's Songs and Hymns." The cattle 
pens of the .Agricultural Society, which were stored in the base- 
ment, were also destroyed.* 

Going back to Main street, and taking the north side of Front 
street under consideration, we should find under the "Old Com- 
pound" building, with an entrance on Front street, an eating house, 
kept in 1841-2 by Mr. Mentzer, who probably opened there after 
being burnt out on .Mechanic street ; he was succeeded by George 
Geer in 1842-3. The first building facing Front street was occu- 
pied in 1840 by .A. (ileason & Co., the firm consisting of .Austin 
Gleason and Stephen Taft. who, in .April, 1839, formed a copart- 
nership for carrying on the West India goods and grocery business. 
.After the retirement of Mr.Clleason, in 1841 , Mr. Taft carried on the 
business for several years, afterwards moving to the block at the 
corner of Front and Trumbull streets, taking his son into jiartner- 
ship, who still continues there. 

* Rev. Samuel 1!. Swaini was pastur of the lirst Haplist church in 1840. 



4« 

( )ther wcupants of stores on Front street, between Main street 
anil the Nor>vich railroad, Ironi 1839 to 1843, were Angier {C. \V.) 
iV Johnson, ami Charles Boanlman, in the grocer)' business ; Cha- 
|>in {('i. v..) iV R()j;ers (T. M.) (up stairs in the same building 
with Hoarilnian), ami Hiram French, in the boot and shoe traile ; 
Watson & Nutting, and S. V. Stone, bakers. A Mr. (1. Spauiding 
also had a grocery store here about this time. In the store next 
to the railroad, I^ucius Beach was in the wool business ; and later, 
.Aaron Billings in the stove and tinware business. This was the 
store owned and occupied for many years by Sumner Pratt, and 
lately removed to make way for the present handsome brick block 
built l)y him. 

.About 1840 .\aron Howe, who had been landlord of the old 
Katon tavern on Front street, kept a fish market in the basement 
of one of the stores opposite the 'lown Hall. Henry W. Miller, 
a> early as 1827, was in the chair and furniture business in one of 
the old buildings opposite the Town Hall, with a workshop in the 
rear of the stores. Smith Kendall (chair painter) representing him 
in the business. Samuel Harrington, town undertaker, and E. (1. 
Partridge, manufacturer of furniture, were other occupants of stores 
l)etween Main street and the railroad." 

Crossing the railroad we come to the house occu|jied for about 
forty years by the late Osgooil Bradley. This house was built by 
William Hovey, ami occupied in 1829 by the late Rejoice Newton. 
Some years later it came into the possession of Francis T. Merrick, 
ami was used as a boarding house by a Peter Richardson. 'l"he 
la.st occupant before Mr. Bradley moved there from (Irafton street 
was Richatji Kimball, who also kept a boarding house. 

The next building beycmd the Bradley house was that of the 
Union Church, completeii in 1836, and dedicated July 6th of that 
year ;t and at the time of which I am speaking was under the 

• Mr. Harrington was up stairs In the buiUlinK mxi u.'^i ,,f ihr Siiinmr 
Pratt store. 

t At the <lcilicatitin of the Union Church Rev. Jolin NcImjii, nf LciLCMlcr, 
preached the sermon, ami Ihc ileilicalory prayer was l)y Rev. (jeorge Allen. 
'I'his liuililinK was Lilely taken iloMn, ami the present improved ami more or- 
namental cdilice erccleil in its place. 



charge of Rev. Elam Smalley. Otis Corbett had li\ed in a house 
standing on this spot, which I think was moved back to Carlton 
street before the erection of the church building, and occupied by 
John Simmons, carpenter. 

Crossing Short street, now called Carlton street, was an open 
lot, from which some years earlier, the Dr. Benjamin Chapin house 
had been removed to the east corner of Carlton and Mechanic 
streets. (This house, while on Front street, had been occupied 
by Dr. Chapin and the late Anthony Chase ; and after its removal 
to Mechanic street, Joseph Pratt, S. B. Church, the printer, and 
others lived there.) In the next, a doable brick house, lived 
Austin Denny and Moses Spooner. Earlier Thomas Kinnicutt, 
Levi A. Dowley, Dr. William Workman and Rev. F^lam Smalley 
were occupants of the block ; and later it came into the possession 
of S. R. Leland, who converted it into stores. 

Among the occupants of the next house, at the west corner of 
Bigelovv court, I remember Joseph T. Turner, a noted wag and 
story-teller of forty years ago. Smith Kendall, chair painter, also 
lived there ; and somewhat later than the period of which I am 
writing, a family of Geers. At the end of Bigelow court, where 
the headquarters of the Fire Department now are, was, as early as 
1836, a little wooden building in which Miss Thankful Hersey kept 
an infant school for the boys and girls of the neighborhood, and 
here the writer was taught the rudiments, in other words his .A B C. 

At the east corner of the court and Front street was the one- 
story wooden building used as an office by .\bijah Bigelow, coun- 
sellor at law. Then came his garden, with its flowers, fruit trees 
and vegetables, e.xtending back to Mechanic street ; and on the 
corner of Church street was his dwelling house, afterwards used as 
our city hospital. The grounds of Mr. Bigelow, on Front street, 
are now covered by the fine blocks of Jonas C. Clark and David 
W'hitcoml). On the north side of Front street, extending from 
about where Leland's block stands, to Church street, was a double 
row of trees ; among those of the inner row were pear and cherry 
trees, but, as can easily be imagined, the fruit seldom came to ma- 
turity, the temptation being loo strong for the average boy of that 
day to allow it to remain long enough. 



43 

Just east of Salem sijiiare, at the corner of 'rruinl)iill >im i. .mil 
about where the Waverly House now is, was a tavern kept in 1S43 
by a Mrs. John Bradley. It was for many years known as the Katon 
Tavern, having been owned and kept for a long time by Nathaniel 
F^aton. 'I"he building, which was originally the Palmer (ioulding 
house, was bought about 1819 by Amos Smith, who turned the 
house into a tavern, anil w.is its landlord.* I first remember it as 
kept by .Aaron Howe, who was there in 1839 ; he had the reputa- 
tion of getting up good game siii)|>crs, and not many years ago was 
keeping an eating saloon in Springfield, Mass. The barn con- 
nected with the tavern was west of the house, on Salem square, 
having an entrance Ixjth on the east and west, so that a carriage or 
a load of hay could be driven directly through it. Just liack of the 
barn, towards the liajnist church, and extending nearly to it. was 
a large yard with a stone wall around it, for the use of tlealers in 
swine or cattle, who often used to come from (juite a distance with 
large droves which they offered for .sale. 

If time would permit, other ()laces of interest fiirther down Front 
street might be mentioned ; but I have already trie<l your patience, 
and will bring these recollections to a close. If we shoulil con- 
tinue our walk through Church street to Mechanic street, we should 
pass on the right Mr. T. \V. Bancroft's barn, which in my younger 
days was the rendezvous for the " Boys' Company," then one of 
the institutions of the town. They used to appear in blue jackets 
and pants, carrying wooden s|)ears painted green, the officers with 
old militia swords. Among the officers of the company I can recall 
only the names of Kd ward Bancroft (brother of Rev. Dr. Lucius 
Bancroft), Caleb Newcomb, Jr., Oeorge Butman and Samuel Jen- 
nison, Jr. The next house, which is still standing, was built, I 
think, by a Mr. Kimberly, and occupied in 1840 by (lardiner 
Haine. On the corner of Church and .Mechanic streets, w.is, and 
is now, a brick house occupied for many years by our venerable 
fellow citizen. I)e.iron l)aniel CiOfldard.t 

•This ii on Ihc aulhorily of .i win of .Xnio', Sriiilh. 

t Since the teadinc of lhi<> p.-iper Dc.icun D.inirl (inrlil.iril lins illnl, [N'uv. 
■ 6, 1884,] at nearly ninety yenr« of age. 



44 

Oossing Mechanic street, and going down what is now Union 
street, passing on our left at the corner, the block occupied a Uttle 
earlier than the time of which I am writing, by Col. Calvin Foster 
(in the east end), we should have soon found ourselves under the 
bridge of the Boston and Worcester railroad, and then in the mead- 
ow beyond. This meadow was often co\ered with water, and at all 
times, except in the dryest of weather, was wet and boggy. Ditches 
crossed it, running from the rear of Nahum Parker's stable on the 
west, to the Blackstone canal or Mill brook on the east. In these 
the boys used to catch frogs and turtles, and in the winter the whole 
meadow was often flooded, making a good place for skating.* 

I had intended to give a full list of the occupants of buikl- 
ings on Mechanic street, but time will permit only a brief men- 
tion. On the north side of the street, starting from Main street, 
passing Whiting's carriage shop and the stable once occupied by 
E. M. Stockwell, we should first come to the shop occupied by 
Benjamin Goddard, carriage maker, and Tower iS: Raymond, car- 
penters ; then to a small, one-story building about where the track 
of the Norwich railroad was, occupied by one Dalrymple. 

Next were the houses of Maj. S. Graves, Thomas B. Eaton 
(town undertaker), Theo. B. Western (sign and ornamental paint- 
er), who lived in a small cottage house afterwards occupied by 
Charles Nudd and a Mrs. (leer. In the two-tenement wooden 
house, still standing, lived William Duncan, Amherst Katon, and 
Levi Coes ; and in the brick block next east, were Peter Kendall 
(mason), and Tilly Raymond (cari)enter). The west end of the 
double wooden house, at the corner of Union and Mechanic streets, 
if I remember right, was occupied about the year 1840 by George 
E. Wyman, and a little later by Gill Bartlett (who kept a boarding 
house) ; and the east end by David Flagg. (some years earlier by 
Calvin Foster). 

Crossing the street, and near the corner of Church street, w-as 
the doulile wooden house o(cui)ied by S. N. Whitney and Baxter 

* On the left, going clown w hat is now Union street, and just before reaching 
the bridge of the Boston and Worcester railroad, was a "frog pond" cover- 
ing about half an acre, which was a great source of enjoyment to the boys of 
the neighborhood, both summer and winter. 



i 



45 

Barnes (father of \Nalttr H. Hames ol ilic liostun and All)any rail- 
road). Next, going lowanls Main street, after passing the rear of 
Abijah Bigelow's garden, were the houses occupied by (jcorge Ed- 
wards, Charles Stiles and C. C. Coleman (the last two lining in 
the same house) ; and the block at the corner of C'arltDU street, 
l)cfore sjKjken of. On the west side of Carlton street was the 
brick block occupied by .\. V. l.esure (tailor), and John C. Green- 
leaf (kiker), the latter now living at Rutland, Mass. Then came 
Samuel Hoyden's blacksmith shoj), next, just west of the Norwich 
ami Worcester railroad location, a stable, occupied about this period 
by George Jones and Luther Gunn ; and adjoining the United 
States Hotel land was a wooden house, occupied by Mr. Bemis 
(father of Mr. HIias 'I'. Bemis of the .S/>r), and later by .Augustus 
Waters, (harness maker). 

'I'nisting that these random recollections may prove of some 
little use to the future historian of our city (who, 1 have no tloubt, 
will be a member of The Worcester Society of .Antiipiity), and that 
they have not been without interest to those who have so kindly 
listened to them, I will close, thanking you for your patient atten- 
tion. 

NiTE. From time to time there have appeared in the daily papers, or in 
reminiscence* read before some of our local societies, notices of Worcester 
and its citizens wmie of which have been consulted in prcp.Trinj; these recol- 
lections. .VnionK thc-c the folliminK arc mentioned as of similar character 
to Ihbi publication, ami »hich «ill he of inlcrcsl to those who de-ire to learn 
more of Worcetler and its business men in the past. 

"I'aRI.'s Toi-R IN WoRctsTKR," a series of twenty aiinie- ]miii1i-.i hi llic 
(yoreei/fr Pn//ai/iiim in 1855, and reprinted in thai paper in 1857 and I.S74. 
They were prepared largely by the late Clarendon Wheelock, under the su- 
pervision of the late J. S. ('. Know lion. 

KKMI.NISCKNCKS »}■■ TIIK (jRKa.NAI. .ASSOCIATES AM) 1'AST .VIrMHKRS ilK TIIK 
WoRCf-sTER KCRE Six:iCTV. Kead to Ihe Society at various limes by Levi 
Lincoln, liaac Davi.i and Benjamin K Thomas. Printed in 1870 and 1874. 

r. ;i ■> III-' WiiRiKs-rKK Firrv VflARs Ai;ii. Nine articles published 

in I: -r in 1870 by • aleb .\. Wall. 

N'<rri-:>., lllsToRICAI. AMI ClIKllNUUKaiAI., 0\ TIIK TliWS "K WoRCKSTKR. 

By Nathaniel Paine. 



46 

The Lumber Business of Worcester. Read before The Worcester So- 
ciety of Antiquity in 1878 by Ellery B. Crane. 

The Tr.\de of Worcester duri.ng the Prese.nt Century. Read before 
The Worcester Society of Antiquity in 1880 by Henry H. Chamberlin. 

Gle.\nings from the Sources of Hi.story of the Second P.arish of 
Worcester. By Samuel S. Green. 

The Worcester Book : .\ Diary of Noteworthy Events in Worcester, 
Massachusetts, from 1657 to 1883. By Franklin P. Rice. 



A RODGH DIAGRAM OF THE COMMON AND ADJACENT STREETS, 

1839-43. 




[Till- Isaac Hui'i- house siiowii on diajri-aiii. sliouhl liavi- luiii rcin-i'sfutrd iii'arc-r Main Si., 
about opposiU' tlie entrance to Judge Puine's yard.] 



PAUTIAI. LIST t>K OCCUPANTS OF BriLDINCS ON MAIN, KUONT AND 
MECHANIC STREETS, SHOWN ON THE DIAGIUM. 



No. 



■JIH!. 



L-OK. 

210. 

212. 

214. 

2lii.. 

2 IS. 

220. 

222. 

224. 

22i;. 
22>i. 



No. 



MAIN STHEET. 

I Mcrrirk A Duwlrv ISWi. 

Nt'wcuinti A- l<i'i>\vii,...ls:tT. 
i f. NV\v.-..iiili A Co !!«■•<. 

Niwroinli A Itowi'ii,.-. 1h;^>. 

I <■. Ko-l.T .V < ').. 1"^I0. 

I Sti'iilifii Hiirtliti (up shiirS). 
I Hi'vwooil. I'aiiic \- I'aiiH". 

' Daiiiil Hivxvood ISSO. 

I K. K. Dlxii-. 
I Ciforge Unwell. 

Natliuiiiel ruiliu. 

X. riiiiif's Olllce. 

(Juiiii's Slie|iiir<l & Soil. 
L. .v. Dowliy. 

\V. A. Draper & Co. 

I<iaae Davin. 

I C'liaiiilh-r Hoiixo ITJO. 

I Ini .M. ItarlOii ISM. 

( Edw. Denny. 

T. \V. ilaiiiiiionil. 
I .losepll Sarjieut. 

.Vntliiin.v Chase. 

Uco. T. Ki.e. 

FKONT STREET. 

I A. OleasonACo \xX>. 

I S.Taft 1H40. 

I Cliarles It.iar.liiian l-^40. No. 

.Sinilli Keiiilall. 

Cliaiiiu & l{o;rer'<. 

E. O. Partridge. 
I 8. V. Stone. 
[ .Variin ItilllnsM. 

Siiiniier I'ratl. 
I LiK'iiK- Itiaeli. 
I Itielianl Kiiiilinll. 
I 0»j;m><l Itraillev. 

Cuiuii Chureli. 



211. 
213. 



21.5. 
217. 



219. 

221. 

. 223! 



4. 

0. 

H. 

10. 



12. 
14. 



Hi. 

1^. 



I Ilenj. OiHlilaril. 
' ( Tower & Kayninnd. 

Wiiinjiiw |)alryiii|ile, ..IS.^*|. 

.**. (i raven. 

T. II. Eaton. 
( Theo. It. \Ve»lerii. 
' Mr., (ieer. 
I Clinrli'> NiiiM. 
I W, Dnneaii. 
' ,\iiilier<t Eaton. 

I l>i-»l C.H.«. 
( I'eter Kenilall. 
I T. lUynionil. 

f. Kixler. 

I '. Klairif. 

' .. E. \V\niaii. 
, riieii, llrowil. 
I )). Ilartlelt. 



MECHANIC .STREET. 
No. 



10. 

11. 

12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
I«. 
is. 
20. 



II. 
II. 
13. 

i:> 

17. 

in. 



Slit'O Offlec-. 

I'nileil .Stales Hotel. 
fC. C. liaiilwin 1S27. 

.loliii Hiriiev lN;t7. 

I W. U. Lewis I^it^s. 

1 Lakiii A Sloiie ls:i'.i. 

.J. 1'. Soiitli-ale |s42. 

S. Billinj,'s 1^4.3. 

C. Seweonil \!<i'. 

Joliu Wiiss isls. 

.Jere. li.md ls:Sl. 

.John Cue IMO. 

C. B. Uol.l.ins 1X44. 

S. P. CUaiupnev IS44. 



A. Denny. 

Moses SpoiilliT. 
8. I{. Leiaiid. 
Tho>.. Kinnieutt. 
L. A. Dow ley. 
Win. Workman. 
Elam Snialley. 

Deniiv. 

.1. T. Turner, 
(ico. Geer. 
A. ItL'elc.w's oirice. 
Ahijah Hi:.'elow. 
T. W. liaiierofl. 
Samuel llalliaway. 
\, IIowe"« Tavirii. 
lliiMiai'd. 



Ephm. Morse 
]•.. 0. I'Mrlridv'f 



(house). 



23. ( 



27. 



Win. C. Whitlii.'. 

f N. T. lleniis 

I A. Walei-s 

Slulile. 

siai.ie ! ';""'■■? •;"'""• 

( lieo. .loll) -. 

S. Hoyden's shop. 

.1. C. (Jreellleaf. 

A. r. l-.-sure. |») 
[ .I0-. I'rall. 

Mr-. Miiiii'oe. 
I S. iLi'liiireli. 
I C. .Slllen. 
I C. C Cotrinan. 

tied. Edwanls. 

Ita\ier Itiiriies. 

S. N. Whitney. 

Elder I.. Ijodilanl. 

Oliver Ka:r<r. 



.\XV). 
.\Mi. 



LBJa'iO 



un 13 Vmt 



